ask a vet

You will never pee alone again… We laugh at jokes and memes that declare how having a dog means you never have to pee alone again, but it’s true. If we get to go to the bathroom, you can bet our dog is right behind us. Our dogs are really tuned in to us and curious as well, but seriously… do they have to attend our potty breaks? A question I see made out of curiosity a lot is – … Read more

Why does my dog lick my feet? Dogs do things that we might not love, and licking our feet is one of those things. We should never forget that our dogs are designed to communicate with others without using words. Communicating with dogs is like trying to learn a foreign language, only harder… because even the familiar letters are absent. Understanding why your dog does what he does is critical in maintaining your bond and growing your friendship. It makes … Read more

Does your vet speak to you in Pig Latin? Actually it is really Latin and Greek mostly. Here are some terms that I use that have gotten some questionable looks and I think that understanding what your vet is saying is the best way to have a pet health care team for your pets’ best lives. This is your crash mini course in Medical Terminology! #1 – Neoplasia The word neoplasia roughly translated from the Greek root word neo– new, … Read more

Fever is defined as a body temperature above the range that is considered normal for a healthy animal. Time and experience have shown us what these ranges are and we know that fever is one of the body’s signs that it is dealing with an infection. It is important for dog caregivers to be able to recognize signs that their dog might have a fever and be fighting an infection so that they know when to seek help from their … Read more

This question is much more complicated than it may seem. First, let’s look at rabies as a disease. Anyone that watched Ole Yeller already has an idea what the disease known as rabies is like and in this case, movie magic did not really over-dramatize it. Rabies is a neurologic (attacking the nervous system) disease caused by a virus. A rabies patient will suffer and die a horrific death and even worse, rabies is zoonotic  (a disease that can be … Read more

We all know how important it is to keep our dog’s nails trimmed. It helps save our floors and sometimes, our skin and it is also good for the dog too. Nails can grow too long and curl back into a dog’s skin and be uncomfortable. In a wild state, the dogs might be able to wear them down, but in our living rooms, they need a little help from us. The dewclaws on the side of the legs do … Read more

Summer is fun. The days are long and when school is out, everything seems to relax a little. Maybe it’s because people travel more or engage in their hobbies more. Folks go camping and hiking, boating or water skiing and many times, dogs are part of the fun. But what about summer might pose a risk to your dog, other then the usual threats, like snakes, heat, and bugs? Here are some summer risks that you might not have thought … Read more

We are aware of the dangers of sun exposure for ourselves and we hear frequently about skin cancers and the damaging effects of sun for people. The ultraviolet light radiation present in the light from the sun is the cause of the skin damage. Most of us have probably even experienced painful sunburn, so we would like to protect our dogs as much as we can. Sunscreen is recommended for humans to reduce the harmful effects, but what about for … Read more

We know that dogs have ears and in fact, the ears are sometimes the cutest part of their whole head. Some dogs have darling curly and fluffy ears. Some dogs’ ears stand up and some dogs even have one that stands and the other that flops over! Let’s face it, dogs’ ears are really endearing (hehe). But they serve an important purpose for our dogs and there are some things that all dog lovers really need to know. 1. Normal … Read more

Many things can cause redness and irritation of the eye. Most dog lovers want to know how to decide when to seek professional help and what is an emergency. Corneal injury is something that will require veterinary assistance and needs to be handled quickly. The cornea is very thin, and injuries can quickly penetrate it and rupture the globe of the eye, causing irreparable harm. If your dog seems to be in pain and squints his eye, your vet can … Read more

Parasite products are not created equal, but if you don’t know to ask the right questions, you might assume you are getting something that you are not. Very often in my hospital, clients come in with over-the-counter flea products that they are not happy with and even some of the ones I sell can be a poor fit if the expectations are mismatched. It is important that pet owners know the ways that these products work and how they can … Read more

We see memes on the internet that seem amusing, like dogs looking frightened in cars and captions about going to the vet, but really, since the vet is your first line of defense to protect your dog, it is much better for everyone if your dog likes going to the vet. You might be thinking that you can’t blame your dog because there are injections and samples of all kinds, but if you and your vet work together as a … Read more

Many people can seamlessly add a new dog to their family. Others have dogs that flourish in a single-pet environment. Each dog is an individual, but there are certain breed-associated characteristics that can affect how they relate to one another. Having been selectively bred for these characteristics over multiple generations, some breeds are more dog-friendly than others. As with humans, canine personalities tend to be the result of nature and nurture. If you are considering adding a dog to your … Read more

Got a puppy? Wonder just when he is going to stop growing? It’s a common question that veterinarians receive. When people adopt dogs from shelters and rescues as puppies, they usually do not know what breeds make up the dog. (the fact is, no one can guess with good accuracy either, see Think You Know A Pit Bull When You See it, So Did We….) People like to plan and even though it usually doesn’t matter because they already love … Read more

Anyone who cuddles a dog knows that sometimes there are unpleasant aromas associated with them. We are all familiar with the terms “dog breath” and “smell like a dog.” Not all smells will be helped by bathing. Some of them come from actual health issues and it is important to know the difference because one needs a bath (or 3) and the others will require medical intervention. Odors that will respond to bathing are things like rolling in stinky stuff … Read more

Ticks are creepy and crawly and look enough like spiders to make me and my staff cringe. They are not just repulsive, they also carry some pretty serious diseases. That’s why we should have all pets on a tick control product that helps prevent an infestation. But even the best protected dog can get an occasional tick. If you find one, you should remove it quickly because the longer a tick remains attached to the skin, the greater the chances … Read more

All dogs need to be cleaned sometimes, and some more than others! Because humans bathe frequently and take good hygiene for granted, we may think that baths are not particularly important or difficult, but there are some things that you should know when it comes to canine cleansing. 1. All shampoos are not created equal. Consumer advocates have published blog posts that declare that the human shampoo market is just a scam and that all shampoos are the same. It … Read more

Recent headlines about the threat of Zika virus have hit the news and social media. Scary stories about people getting sick have caught people’s attention. Even though it is in the headlines now, Zika virus is not new. It has been found in monkeys and apes since the 1940s. Usually disease in nonhuman primates is mild with only a transient fever, but the humans affected by Zika virus are much more significantly affected. Since the discussion has included monkeys and apes, … Read more

Dog lovers know that most dogs need to have their nails trimmed. It is a matter of hygiene (and sometimes safety, if your dog steps on your toes or claws at your legs). Long nails can bruise skin and damage floors. Eventually, nail overgrowth can harm your dog, too, by forcing him to walk abnormally or growing into the skin. Ouch! But most dog owners (and their dogs) hate nail trimming. To learn more, see Why Does My Dog Hate ... Read more